It Gives a Lovely Light
by Kinsinger
Summary: SPNTwilight.  Dean and Sam hear of suspicious attacks in Forks, Washington, and go to investigate.
1. Chapter 1

This takes place shortly after the events of the Supernatural Season 2 Finale and Stephanie Meyer's _New Moon_. If you haven't read/watched either of those, I suggest you do so now.

Also, if anyone knows of another crossover between these two fandoms, please let me know. I only wrote this because I got tired of looking.

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BADUM-WHAP. BADUM-WHAP.

Dean Winchester threw his rubber ball a little harder than necessary this time, irritable with the delay. He had been cooped up in a tiny motel room with his brother, Sam, for days, waiting for the uproar caused by their last job to die down or for a new job to surface, whichever happened first. Neither brother was particularly worried that the cops would stumble across their drab room, so neither wanted to risk driving brazenly out of town unless there was a good reason.

Until that reason was found, Dean was discovering just how far that little vein in the side of Sam's neck could bulge. Bouncing a ball off the ceiling and the back wall so it barely missed his brother's head seemed to be doing wonders for his research into this vital matter. Not to mention serving the double purpose of keeping Dean's mind off other matters.

Finally, just when Dean had managed to perfect his throw – and concentration - to the point where he could get the ball within two inches of his brother's head and not think of the gates of Hell at the same time, Sam's hand snaked out, caught the ball, and shoved it into his pocket in one smooth move, spinning in his chair as he did so.

"I have something." The gleam in his eye told Dean this was going to be interesting.

"Finally!" Dean bounced himself into a sitting position on the edge of the bed, glad for the distraction. "Please tell me it's a good one."

"Oh, it's good all right." Sam sighed. "Forks, Washington. Hikers have been disappearing from the forest around the town. The theory is bear attack."

"Wendigo?"

"Could be. However, the search parties found huge animal tracks around the abandoned campsites and lots of blood. And hikers have reported seeing huge animals roaming the forests."

"Ok, I'll bite," Dean said. "What makes you think it's not a Wendigo? Aside from the funky tracks or whatever."

"Well, for one thing, the tracks have the police stumped – they're not bear tracks, but they're too big to be anything else."

"And…?" Dean gestured for Sam to get to the point.

"And one body has been found." Sam raised an eyebrow significantly. "It was completely drained of blood."

Dean pumped a fist into the air. "Houston, we have a vampire." He rubbed his hands together gleefully as he paced the room. "Ok, the machetes are nice and sharp – hey, do you think we should stock up on dead man's blood, just in case? Guess we should wait 'til dark to leave, just in case the sheriff's better than we think – "

"Wait, Dean," Sam growled. "I wasn't finished."

"Not finished? C'mon, Sam, you just said they were vampires."

"Yeah, it looks like that. But what about the big animals? The weird tracks?"

"Look, if you got a better idea – "

"I checked the local legends," Sam interrupted. "There's an Indian tribe – the Quileute. They have a legend that certain members of the tribe can have the ability to turn into giant wolves. It's not just during certain points in the lunar cycle, either. This lycanthropy only develops when there are what they call 'cold ones' around, and then the guy can turn into a wolf whenever he wants to. From the description, it sounds like the cold ones are vampires, but not any kind we've ever dealt with."

Dean grinned. "Vampires and werewolves? Dude, what are we waiting for?"

Sam pressed his lips together irritably. "Dean, stop looking like Christmas came early. It sounds like we could be walking into a war here."

"Fine, dude, I'm being serious," Dean rolled his eyes and settled back onto the edge of the bed. "So, new breed of werewolf, new breed of vampire. Does it say what can kill them?"

Sam shook his head. "The legend just makes it sound like one can kill the other. It doesn't say anything about humans getting involved."

Dean stood and clapped Sam on the back. "Well, someone in town's gotta know. That's what we've got your big Bambi eyes for. Now, it'll be dark soon, so get your gear together." He began shoving his belongings into his bag, mind already on the hunt ahead.

Slightly more reluctantly, Sam complied.


	2. Chapter 2

They arrived in Forks in the late afternoon. Dean surveyed the tiny Main Street with clinical detachment and shrugged.

"What do you think – sheriff first?"

Sam nodded. "Sounds good. Got the IDs?"

Dean produced the cards from his pocket and grinned. "Don't I always?"

Sam rolled his eyes and snatched one. "These had better be good – I am _not_ going to be a bikini inspector again. Or Han Solo."

"Nope. Just Jason Teague and Alec Masters, members of the Wildlife Service, here to investigate the attacks." Dean shrugged. "Thought I'd keep it simple."

Sam eyed him suspiciously. "Keep it simple? Since when?"

Dean's face darkened. "Since those bloodhounds at the FBI decided we smelled nice."

--------------

"Aren't you a little young to be chasing down bears?" Sheriff Swan's face was open and friendly, if skeptical.

Dean watched, amused, as Sam put on his bashful act. "Well, sir, to be frank, I don't think the Wildlife Service is taking your case very seriously. My partner, Jason, and I were interested – I mean, giant bears, who wouldn't be? – so the director let us take it." Sam was getting good, Dean noted. Was he actually blushing? "To be honest, this is only our second time on a case like this, and the last one turned out to be a rabid dog."

Sheriff Swan ate it up. "I'm sure you'll do fine. We'll take you out to see the camping areas tomorrow." He frowned. "You boys have a place to stay tonight?"

"Well, uh," Sam turned to Dean. "We just thought we'd stay in the hotel."

Sheriff Swan shook his head. "You can't. It's been closed for remodeling. We get so few visitors, it's not been kept up so well." He sized the brothers up, frowning. "You know…." He scratched his head and seemed to come to a decision. "You boys could stay with me tonight, if you'd like. We've got a guest room with two beds, and my daughter can cook like you wouldn't believe."

Sam glanced at Dean, who nodded. "That'd be awesome, Sheriff."

"Please, call me Charlie." The Sheriff grinned. "Well, I'll call ahead to let Bella know we've got visitors, and then you two can follow me out to my place." He left to find a phone.

Dean waited until the door had closed before letting loose a quiet whoop of joy and slinging an arm over Sam's shoulders. "You hear that, Sammy? We get real food tonight! And how about that daughter, huh? Think she's hot?" He waggled his eyebrows suggestively.

Sam pushed him away. "She's probably like twelve, Dean." He shook his head, grinning. "Pervert."

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What little they could see of the sun through the ever-present clouds had set by the time Charlie had led them to his home. Dean glared out the window at the darkening sky as they pulled into the driveway.

"Perfect place for a vamp," he noted. "Not much direct sunlight."

Sam nodded. "They could almost go out in public in a place like this – nobody'd expect them to have a tan, and there'd be no sun to burn them outside."

"Perfect," Dean grumbled. "That means they could be anybody, and all we got to go on is a little body temperature. What are we supposed to do, go around touching people and hope no one bites us?"

"And that still doesn't help with the werewolves," Sam muttered. "How are we supposed to ID them?"

Just then, the sky opened up and began to rain.

"Even better," Dean growled. "C'mon!"

They ran for the house, where Charlie held the door open for them. Inside, a pale girl and an even paler boy were pulling two dishes of lasagna out of the oven.

"This is my daughter, Bella," Charlie said, giving the pale girl a hug. He turned to the boy. "And this – this is her boyfriend, Edward." He paused ever so slightly, then gestured at the brothers. "Bella, Edward, this is Alec and his partner, Jason. They're from the Wildlife Service, and they're here to see about the attacks." The brothers shook hands with Edward and Bella. Sam had to fight to keep his face from registering his shock as his hand met Edward's. The boy was freezing cold.

Dean shook Edward's hand as well, then glanced at Sam. He'd noticed it, too.

Charlie sat down at the head of the table. "Bella's actually seen the bears, but she said they looked more like huge wolves. Five of them. Out by – "

Bella broke in as she took a seat beside Edward. "Actually, Dad, I think I was just a little shook up. They were definitely bears, I just…. I guess I'd never seen a bear before and it shocked me."

It was a lame excuse, and it was clear she knew it. She flushed as Charlie furrowed his brow in confusion.

Sam and Dean exchanged looks. This was interesting.

Bella broke the awkward silence by offering Sam some lasagna, and supper commenced.

Halfway through the meal, Sam took advantage of a lull in conversation to mention that he and Dean wanted to meet with the Quileute to see if any of them had seen anything. "We thought we might head down there sometime tomorrow, maybe in the morning so you could show us the attack sites after lunch."

Bella had noticeably stiffened when the Quileute were mentioned. She glanced at Edward, who was avoiding her gaze. "I, uh, I could take you down there," she said, flushing again.

Charlie nodded. "Bella's good friends with some of the boys down there – she could take you around while I'm at work. Maybe Jacob Black can show you the attack sites closer to La Push – make my job easier."

Sam noticed that Edward's jaw was clenched and, curious, said, "Yeah, Bella and Edward would be a big help." He smiled ruefully. "Sometimes people don't really want to talk to us, and having you guys along would make things a lot easier."

Edward looked up from his plate. "Actually, I don't think I can go." He shrugged apologetically, and met Sam's rueful smile with one of his own. To Sam's practiced eye, it looked just as fake. "I had a slight…. misunderstanding…. with some of the boys down there, and I think I'd hurt more than help."

Dean grinned. "I hope it wasn't over this lovely lady here," he said, winking at Bella.

Sam kicked him under the table as Bella flushed once more and Edward, once again, avoided looking at her. Charlie cleared his throat noisily and shoved his chair back. "Well, I don't know about you all, but I'm ready for dessert." He looked expectantly at Bella. "Honey?"

She fled to the kitchen.


	3. Chapter 3

Once supper was over, Charlie showed Sam and Dean to their room, apologizing that they would have to share a room with two beds. They absently assured him that it was fine and he left, giving them the slightly suspicious glance they received so frequently from motel clerks.

Dean snorted as he closed the door. "Think we should tell him we're brothers?"

"With Agent Henrikson still after us?" Sam gave him a look. "Personally, I prefer Charlie thinking 'gay' rather than 'murderers.'"

Dean, unable to fault his logic, changed the subject. "Think he knows?"

"That his daughter's dating a vampire?" Sam shook his head and sank onto his bed. "I don't think he approves, but I don't think he knows this Edward guy's out for blood." He rubbed his temples absently.

Dean noticed immediately and rounded the bed to squat in front of his brother. "What, is it a vision?" His brother hadn't had any visions since the yellow-eyed demon had been killed, but Dean still wasn't entirely sure Sam's… skills… were truly gone.

Sam gave him a strange look. "You sure are jumpy." Frowning, he shook his head. "No, no visions, I just keep getting this feeling like someone is watching me."

Dean rocked back on his heels. "Someone - like a peeping Tom someone, or like a supernatural someone?"

"It's like – " Sam stopped, frustrated. "I don't know, like someone's trying to get in my head."

Dean paced. "You think there are any more of the demon's children around?"

Sam shook his head. "It doesn't – it doesn't feel like them. They should all be gone, anyway. It's – " He stopped. "I don't know. I just don't like it."

He shook his head as if to clear it and leaned forward. "So. Bella."

Dean settled onto the other bed. "Dude, she is messed up. She's dating a vampire and trying to protect a werewolf? I thought you said they didn't get along." He paused. "Though she's really not bad looking, when you get right down to it."

Sam threw a pillow at Dean's head. "Upstairs brain, dude. You really don't want to steal a vampire's girl. And she HAS to know that he's a vamp. She clearly knows the werewolves down at the reservation – there's at least five of them, did you catch that? – which means she knows about the cold ones, and she's not stupid so she'd have to notice that her boyfriend's an iceberg. Which just begs the question – why isn't she one? She's still plenty warm."

Dean shrugged as he threw the pillow back. "She still seemed a little chilly, though, and plenty pale. We shouldn't jump to conclusions. And then there's Edward's 'disagreement' with guys at the reservation – seems like that has more to do with Bella than the whole war thing."

Sam nodded. "Still, I don't think she is one. The legend made it sound like there was a lot of bad feelings between the vamps and the werewolves – I don't think she'd be such good friends with the Quileute if she was a vampire."

Dean sighed. "Great. And that all just leaves us the tiny problem of figuring out how to send these mutated freaks back to Hell where they belong."

Sam flinched, then nodded and stared down at his hands for a moment, lost in thought.

Dean took a deep breath, mentally kicking himself. "So….are we ever going to talk about this?" he finally growled, shifting awkwardly on the bed.

"We are talking," Sam muttered, not looking up.

"C'mon, man, you know what I mean. We keep jumping around the subject and I'm sick of it. Every time I mention Hell you look like I kicked your puppy." Dean rubbed the back of his neck, uncomfortable.

Sam finally looked up and tried to smile. "Ok, dude, since when do you buy into all that feelings crap?"

Dean shrugged. "Payback." He flashed a grin.

Sam snorted, not buying the act. "Did Bobby put you up to this?"

"Now, c'mon…."

Sam raised an eyebrow.

"Alright," Dean relented. "He may have mentioned something about it." He frowned. "But still…." He heaved a sigh, looking for all the world as though he could not believe what he was saying. "We gotta talk sometime."

Sam flopped back on to the bed. "Fine."

"Fine," Dean replied, taken aback.

The silence stretched on, becoming more awkward by the second.

Finally, Sam raised his head. "So. Into the werewolf's den tomorrow chaperoned by a vampire's girlfriend."

"Sounds like my kind of day," said Dean.

If his reply was unnecessarily enthusiastic, neither brother was overly inclined to call attention to that fact.

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"They know," Edward whispered.

Bella sat up straighter in bed, still unused to his sudden entrances. "What?" she gasped, trying to calm her heart.

He paced. "There is no way those two are from Wildlife Services," he growled. "The short one was thinking 'vampire' all through dinner and the tall one – "

He paused. "The tall one was like you." He raised his eyebrows significantly.

"You mean – "

"I mean there was nothing. Either he's brain dead – unlikely, considering how lively he was tonight – or he has your specific…..talent. His mind was completely closed."

"Oh." Bella frowned, unsettled, but her mind was on other things. "Why do you think they want to go to La Push?"

"Worried about Jacob?" Edward asked lightly, trying to make it sound as though he didn't care.

Bella looked away and Edward instantly regretted his words. Casting about for something safer to talk about, his superhuman ears caught Bella's name in a conversation in the guest bedroom downstairs.

"They're talking about us," he murmured, settling onto the bed next to her.

Bella's head whipped around from her determined scrutiny of a crack on the wall. "How much do they know?" she asked.

Edward's brow furrowed. "They have come to some interesting conclusions," he said noncommittally. Suddenly, his face closed down. "Ah. I see."

"See what?" Bella grabbed his arm.

Edward heaved a sigh. "They're hunters," he said simply. "And they are trying to determine the best way to – how did they put it? 'Send us mutated freaks back to hell where we belong.'"

"What?" Bella cried, livid. "You're not – "

"Shh!" Edward placed a frigid hand over her mouth. "I've heard of their kind. They hunt ghosts and demons –vampires like us have always been careful not to cross their paths, though the lesser vampires have almost been wiped out by them."

"Then…they're here to kill you?" Bella whispered, the aching hole in her chest she had thought gone when Edward returned beginning to throb again.

Edward smiled comfortingly. "They are here to try."

Somehow, his words didn't help.


	4. Chapter 4

Bella seemed unnecessarily cold the next morning as she prepared breakfast for the brothers. The two exchanged glances as she slammed a plate of eggs down in front of each of them and went to sit at the far end of the table.

Dean opened his mouth to comment, but Sam was saved from having to once again kick his brother under the table by Charlie's entrance.

"Good morning!" Charlie was clearly a morning person, Dean noted. He felt lucky he'd managed to get coffee into his system before having to deal with that.

Charlie planted a kiss on his daughter's head. "Bella, I called Billy, so he's expecting you. Jacob's going to show you guys the attack sites closer to La Push, then I can show you all the sites up this way." He wandered over to the stove. "Ooh, eggs." He grinned. "You spoil me, honey."

Bella made a noncommittal sound as she picked at her eggs, and Sam noticed the faint lines of worry that crossed Charlie's forehead as he stole a glance at his daughter. The moment passed quickly, however, and the next second he was back to his usual self.

Once they had finished, Sam and Dean excused themselves to their room to pack equipment.

"Something's wrong," Sam growled as soon as the door closed.

Dean nodded. "She knows." He pulled his gun from his bag and checked his ammo. "Think it's a trap?"

Sam threw up his hands in frustration. "Probably. The question is – which group? Do we plan for werewolves or vampires?"

Dean tossed him his gun. "Both." He grinned. "Leave room for your machete."

"We're just going to walk right into a trap?" Sam demanded.

Dean shrugged. "Think of it as _our_ trap – and we're the bait." His grin widened as he tested the edge of his machete. "She'll lead us right to them."

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The drive down to La Push was awkward, to say the least. Bella glared out the window, arms folded and lips in a thin line. Sam, who Dean had, for some inexplicable reason, allowed to drive the Impala, had tried to get the conversation started multiple times but had finally given up any hope of receiving anything more than monosyllabic answers.

Dean, never one to be left out, spoke up halfway through the drive. "So….you and Edward. He seems like a great guy." He grinned roguishly. "You two pretty serious?"

Now Sam really wished he'd let Dean drive. At least in the back he could have kicked Dean's seat. He was forced to settle for pursing his lips and widening his eyes in warning into the rear-view mirror.

Dean ignored him. "You two just make such a cute couple. Are his parents as good-looking as he is?"

If looks could kill, Dean would be a smoldering spot on the seat. Sam gripped the wheel tighter and wished his abilities stretched to psychic communication.

Bella twisted in her seat to look suspiciously at Dean. "He's adopted. Lives with Dr. Cullen."

Dean nodded. "Dr. Cullen, huh? I heard people talking about him – sounds like a real nice guy."

"He is." Bella's glare deepened and she turned back around.

Sam shook his head angrily in the rear-view mirror. Dean spread his arms, mouthing _What?, _but Sam narrowed his eyes and Dean settled back into his seat.

Finally, they arrived at the reservation. Bella practically bolted out of the car and was at the front door of the Black house before Sam had opened his car door.

Dean was chuckling as he left the car, but he was silenced by the opening of the front door. Four men shuffled out, and they were all at least as tall as Sam, some taller. They strolled past the brothers, nodding in greeting, and set off down the road.

Now Sam was the one chuckling as he clapped Dean on the back. "Told you you were short," he said under his breath as he passed his brother.

Dean rolled his eyes and followed.

Bella stood at the front door with a boy every bit as tall as others.

"Think all that rain makes them grow?" Dean muttered to Sam's back as they approached.

Sam stifled a laugh and held out his hand in greeting. "I'm Alec Masters, and this is my partner, Jason Teague," he said cheerfully.

"Jacob Black," the boy said guardedly, glancing back and forth between them and Bella. Her stance was noticeably belligerent.

"So," Dean clapped his hands together. "What do you say we get to work?"

They spent the morning all over the reservation, talking to anyone who had a story about giant animals in the woods and visited the two attack sites closest to the reservation before giving up and heading back to Charlie's house to eat.

"Well, that was informational," Dean grumbled as they returned to their room after lunch. "All we know for sure is that hikers out here really have a death wish."

Sam nodded. "It's just….how are we supposed to do this if we don't even know who we're trying to stop? Any one of the Quileute we met today could have been a werewolf, and we have no way to tell! We don't even know if the werewolves have anything to do with this! Should we just take down Edward, or wait to make sure he's the one doing this?"

"You know where I stand on this," Dean said. "As far as I'm concerned we should just waste 'em both, no matter who's killing the hikers. Evil's evil."

There was a brief silence as Sam tried and failed to keep from flinching.

"That is _it_, Sam," Dean exploded. "I'm done doing this little 'don't talk about it' dance." He put his hands behind his head and sucked in a deep breath, letting it out in a whoosh before he started his tirade. "You shot that guy. Multiple times. You always told me we can't kill anyone human, and you shot him. I don't care if he was one of the demon's children, I don't care if he opened the gates to freaking Hell, that doesn't make him any less human." He glared at his brother. "It doesn't make _you _any less human. You shouldn't have done it." He slumped down onto the bed, head in his hands. "If anyone should have killed him, it should have been me."

"Oh, yeah?" Sam snarled. "And what _about_ you? You sold your soul to a freaking _demon _to bring me back. 'What's dead should stay dead,' isn't that right, Dean?" His glare was just as furious, his voice deepening with anger. "So tell me, what right did you have to do this to me? After Dad? What if I were to go out and make a deal with that demon to save _you_?"

"I'm supposed to protect you, Sammy," Dean said, voice breaking. "If you died…" He looked up, and Sam was surprised to see tears shining in his eyes. Dean drew in a shaky breath. "_When_ you died, I couldn't take it. Ok? I can't….I can't lose anymore of this family. And if that means I only get one more year before I get sent to Hell, then I can handle that."

"_You_ can handle that?" Sam threw his hands in the air, momentarily at a loss for words. "You… when Dad died, it tore you apart. You think I'd rather be _alive, _knowing that you're going to Hell because of me? Dean, for all you know, I'm going there anyway!"

"And for all you know, I am too," Dean growled, shooting to his feet. "I've killed a lot of things, Sam. For all you know, I'm just speeding up the process." He sat back down, visibly trying to calm himself. "I just want to stick around long enough to make sure you're ok."

"Why, because I shot Jake?" Sam's lips tightened. "Dean, for all you know, I'm still going to turn dark side. For all you know, me dying made it worse. For all you know – "

"And for all I know, I just gave you a chance at redemption now that the demon's dead. Ever think of that?" Dean snapped.

"Yeah, Dean, I did. Ever think that you dying might just _make_ me turn dark side?"

A knock on the door kept Dean from answering. Charlie poked his head in and grinned. "You boys ready to head out?"

Sam forced a smile onto his face. "We'll be out in a minute, Chief."

Charlie nodded and disappeared from the doorway.

Sam shouldered his bag. "It's not your job to protect me anymore, Dean," he said softly as he left.

And Dean followed, unconvinced.


	5. Chapter 5

I'm not very good at writing anything even remotely resembling an action scene, so I hope this chapter works.

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They arrived home late in the evening, tired and no closer to figuring out the identity of the werewolves or of the attacker.

Bella was waiting at the door when they came home. "Did you find anything?" she asked Charlie anxiously.

The hunters had already trudged back to their rooms. "You'd have to ask them," Charlie said wearily. "I don't even know what they were looking for." He smiled tiredly. "I think the short one might have a thing for you, though. Kept asking me questions about you and Edward." He paused as something occurred to him. "You do know he's too old for you, right?" he asked anxiously.

Bella rolled her eyes. "Yes, Dad, I know."

He smiled again. "Well, I'm going to bed. Good night, sweetie."

"Good night, Dad."

Bella turned, braced herself, and marched up to the hunters' door. Muted voices were arguing within.

"Dean, we can't just kill him without knowing if he's the one doing it! He's part of the community! Dating a human! What if we've found another vampire that actually _wants_ to coexist peacefully?"

Bella forced herself to knock tentatively.

The door sprang open almost immediately. Dean's face became even more belligerent when he saw who it was. "Oh," he growled. "It's you." He swept his hand toward the interior of their room, smiling just a bit too broadly for it to be real. "You might as well come on in."

She sat warily on the edge of a chair as they took seats on the beds. Taking a deep breath, she said in a rush, "I know what you're here to do, and I have to tell you it's not what you think."

"Bella, what are you talking about?" Sam asked, expression innocent.

"You know perfectly well what I'm talking about," she cried. "You think it's Edward doing all this!"

"And the truth comes out," Dean smiled grimly. "So you're admitting that your boyfriend's not entirely human?"

Her look was scornful. "I know you guys hunt vampires, and I know your names aren't really Alec and Jason. I'm just warning you – you don't want to get messed up in this." She got up and marched toward the door. "So stop asking questions about Edward. He hasn't killed anybody." She slipped out, leaving the brothers speechless in her wake.

"Well, that was interesting." Sam let out his breath in a whoosh, running his hand through his hair. "So, assuming that's true…"

"What do you mean, assuming that's true?" Dean threw his hands into the air. "Sam, she knows what we are! She just threatened us!"

"Which means Edward probably knew and told her, which means there's a very good chance what she told us is true or he would have attacked us by now."

"Ok, it's possible, but I still don't buy it." Dean sat back down on the bed.

"Whether or not we buy it, we still have to look at other options. We've been assuming that the vampires kill the hikers, suck their blood, and the werewolves eat what's left. What if it's the other way around? What if the werewolves did it all, and the last body was just _found_ by a vampire?"

Dean groaned. "I know where this is heading…."

Sam nodded. "We've been looking for the wrong signs. We need to go back to the attack sites. And we can't take Charlie with us. He's already getting suspicious."

--------------------

They waited until shortly before midnight to sneak out of the house. From there, it was easy to follow the map they had made of the attack sites. They hit the older ones first, hoping whatever creature had done this had been careless in the beginning.

No such luck. The trails of dried blood led nowhere, and there was nothing to tell them what, exactly, had done this. By the time they reached the final campsite, the sky had noticeably lightened, and they were no closer to figuring it out than before. The only clue was the huge footprints, and Dean was beginning to think that was incriminating enough.

"Sam, come on. We've seen the footprints, we have no sign of vampires, let's just say it was the werewolves and be done with it."

Sam stiffened suddenly. "Dean. Do you see that?"

Dean rolled his eyes. "See what?"

"Look!" Sam pointed. Light flickered weakly through the trees, denoting –

"Aw, come on!" Dean groaned. "How stupid are these people?"

Sam grabbed his arm. "Dean, those people are probably the only campers in this forest right now."

"Yeah, yeah," Dean sighed. "Great. Now we get to save the idiots from becoming werewolf meat."

Sam nodded. "Go warn them. I'll keep watch."

Dean slipped away toward the small campfire as Sam set out through the forest, gun at ready.

-------------------

Bella, who had been waiting up for Edward to come through her window, had spotted the hunters leaving as soon as they slipped out. Curious as to what they would be looking for now that she had told them about Edward, she set out to follow.

Just as she had thought he would, Edward tracked her down easily.

"Bella!" Edward snarled. "You can't go this way!"

"Why not?" she said, still forging ahead. "I just want to see what they're doing." She glanced over her shoulder. "Victoria won't attack when you're with me, and besides, Jacob said they chased her halfway to Canada again."

Edward rolled his eyes. "That's what I'm trying to tell you! I can't be here right now." He grabbed her arm and spun her around. "Bella, we are on Quileute soil. I'm breaking the treaty just being here!"

She stopped struggling immediately. "Oh. Crap."

"Exactly. Come on!" He swung her around and froze. "How…?"

"Edward? What is it?"

He shoved her behind him, cursing under his breath. She peeked out from behind his back and froze as well.

A gun was pointed straight at Edward's forehead, and on the other side of the barrel was Sam.

"I guess that answers our questions, doesn't it," the hunter said flatly. "I have to admit, I was really hoping it wasn't you. Still," he cocked the gun loudly, "you're not getting to those campers."

"It wasn't us," Edward snarled, recovering quickly from the shock of being snuck up on by a human.

"So the body they found just naturally drained itself of blood, is that it?" Sam kept his gun level, well aware that, should the vampire attack, it would do little good. "And you just happened to be out wandering near a campsite?"

"He's not going to hurt anybody! He's good!" Bella yelled, finally shoving her way out from behind Edward, face bright red.

Sam snorted, not lowering his gun. "Oh yeah? And why should I believe you?"

"Because they're my friends," she growled.

"And how do I know you're not one of them?" Sam's gun wavered between Edward's face and Bella's.

She muttered something that sounded suspiciously like "I wish" but Sam could never be sure just what she had said since Edward chose that moment to act.

Taking advantage of Sam's indecision, Edward blurred for a moment and reappeared with Sam's gun in his hand.

Slowly, Sam sank to his knees and raised his hands in surrender, and Dean chose that moment to come barreling into the clearing, machete in hand. A look of mild derision barely had time to cross Edward's face before Dean swept the machete at his throat.

Bella cried out in horror, but rather than beheading the vampire, the machete shattered. Sam threw an arm over his face and fell backward as the largest piece of the machete flew towards Bella, but Edward moved, faster than Dean's eyes could follow, and the piece merely clanged off his chest.

It was only then that Dean noticed Sam writhing on the ground in pain, blood spattering his shirt.

"Sammy?!" Dean dropped to his knees, ignoring the vampire behind him. He rolled his brother over and caught his breath in horror. The arm that Sam had thrown up to protect his face was speckled with pieces of Dean's machete. One had clearly hit an artery, for his arm was already slick with blood. Swiftly, Dean whipped off his belt and cinched it above Sam's elbow, hoping to stem the flow.

"Edward! No!"

Dean spun around to see Bella planting herself in front of Edward, pushing against his chest. The vampire's once golden eyes had turned black and he was growling low in his chest, but despite Bella's relative fragility Edward did not simply sweep her aside.

Bella wrapped her arms around Edward's chest and glared over her shoulder at Dean. "Go!"

Dean threw Sam's good arm over his shoulder and hauled his brother to his feet. He hadn't even taken his first step before a different type of growling filled the clearing.

The werewolves had arrived.


	6. Chapter 6

Bella's stance became more protective as she turned her back to Edward, keeping one hand still on his arm. "He hasn't bitten anyone!" she yelled at the five wolves advancing on her. "You can't hurt him!"

The wolves glanced at one another, then at their leader. In perfect unison, the pack spread out to surround Dean and Sam, never turning their backs on the vampire who was slowly bringing himself under control.

A russet-colored werewolf backed off from the group. So quickly that Dean almost missed it, he seemed to implode, resolving himself into Jacob Black.

Dean frowned. Of all the people he'd met at La Push, Jacob had been the last person he'd have suspected.

"Get him out of here," the boy said to Bella. Edward, more in control now, picked her up and disappeared.

Warily, the remaining werewolves sniffed the wind. As one, they all dwindled down until they became men again.

Barely men, Dean noted. Not a one of them seemed older than Sam. He vaguely recognized them as the men who had been leaving Jacob's house when Bella drove them down to La Push.

Jacob stepped forward and made as if to take Sam from Dean, but the hunter pulled back, reaching for his gun. Jacob didn't even blink as Dean pressed the barrel of the gun to his chest, but his eyes flicked to the leader of the pack.

"That won't hurt him much – Jason, isn't it?" the leader said. His voice was surprisingly pleasant, considering the circumstances.

Sam moaned, and Dean's gaze flicked down just long enough. When he looked back up, his gun was gone.

Jacob tossed the gun to the leader as hands grabbed Dean from behind and manhandled him to the ground, one knee on his back. "Your partner needs help, Jason," the leader said soothingly. Dean struggled, but whoever was holding him had a grip like iron.

Jacob lifted Sam as if he were nothing. "He's bleeding out," the werewolf muttered.

Dean fought even harder. "If you hurt my brother, I swear – "

"Your brother?" Jacob raised an eyebrow.

Dean cursed under his breath. "Get your filthy hands off him, you freak," he snarled.

The leader ignored him. "Jake, get him to a doctor. I don't care if it's Dr. Cullen who's on duty, just get him to the hospital!"

Jacob set off at a fast trot.

The leader squatted down beside Dean as the werewolf holding him let him up onto his knees. "Hello, Jason, I'm Sam Uley."

Dean just glared.

Sam Uley sighed. "Look, we're getting your partner – Alec, right? – to the doctor as fast as we can."

"Cullen's a vampire, isn't he?" Dean spat, already knowing the answer.

Sam Uley nodded slowly. "Don't worry, he won't hurt him. We make sure of that."

"Yeah, you and your little pack are real Good Samaritans," Dean pulled futilely at the hands that still restrained him. "Save one guy, kill a bunch of hikers, that makes you just about even, doesn't it."

The boy standing behind Sam Uley pushed forward, shaking with anger. "How dare you – "

"Paul!" Sam Uley growled. He glanced at someone behind Dean. "Jared, get him out of here."

"What, scared he might hurt someone?" Dean snorted. "Nice little attack of conscience you're getting here."

The boy paused on the edge of the tree line, tremors running through his body. Sam Uley called something in a strange language and Jared shoved Paul forward, out of sight.

Once Paul was safely away, the leader turned back to Dean. "It's not wise to get him angry, Jason," he observed.

"Yeah, well, most people would say sending a guy covered in blood to a vampire doctor isn't wise either," Dean's look was dangerous. "If Cullen hurts him…"

"He won't," Sam said firmly.

There was a brief pause as Sam Uley looked to the side, choosing his words with care. "Look, about what you saw today…"

"What, you mean the part where we were almost attacked by a pale guy with pointy teeth or the part where you guys turned into giant wolves?"

Sam Uley sighed. "Both. You do realize, don't you, Jason, that you could easily be considered insane if you go around spreading stories of werewolves and vampires?"

Dean laughed shortly. "I see. So, you want me to keep your merry little band a secret, is that it? Just let more hikers get mauled? What, you going to head over and snack on the campers back there as soon as your good deed for the day is done?"

Whoever still had a grip on Dean's hands tightened it and leaned down to growl in his ear, "It's not us, moron. We're protecting them."

"And it's amazing how much _safer_ I feel with such humane protectors," Dean retorted.

The werewolf behind him tightened his hold even further, and Dean winced.

"Embry, enough," Sam Uley said curtly. The hold loosened. Sam Uley focused in again on Dean's face. "Alright, look. We're going to let you go and help you get back to town to check on your partner." His face tightened. "It's up to you whether or not you want to spread stories of giant wolves or 'pointy-teethed pale guys.'"

Dean frowned. "You're not going to threaten me into keeping your secret? Maybe, I don't know, bite off a few fingers as a warning?"

Sam Uley shook his head. "Like Embry said, we're protectors, not murderers."

"Sure you are. Bella already told us it wasn't her pet vamp. So if you're not killing those hikers either, what is?"

"A vampire," Sam Uley replied. He held up a hand to forestall the question on Dean's lips. "And no, it is not any of the Cullens. We have a treaty, and they know we would not allow them anywhere near here if they did this."

Dean just stared it him, unsure what to do. This was Sam's forte, not his. Sam empathized with the things they hunted; Sam believed they should give them a chance to be good. Dean only believed in second chances for his brother.

Sam Uley stood suddenly, and the werewolf holding Dean captive let him go. As Dean clambered to his feet, Sam said, "Well, Jason, it's up to you. We're going to take you to the hospital now, and if you feel the urge to tell the police exactly what happened, there's nothing we can do to stop you." He smiled sadly. "Just keep in mind, we did save your partner's life."

Dean nodded slowly.

"Alright then," Sam Uley said. "Follow us."

--------------

Sam was asleep by the time Dean arrived, fluids pumping into his body by IV. The doctor in charge of him introduced himself as Dr. Carlisle Cullen, and Dean had to fight to keep from shuddering when he shook his hand.

"Your partner has lost a lot of blood," Dr. Cullen said seriously. "But he should be all right. We've got him well bandaged, so he should be discharged by this evening, barring any complications." He turned to the bedside table and held up the belt that had been on it. "I don't know if this belongs to you or to the young man who brought your partner here, but whoever put this around his arm saved his life."

Dean took the belt hesitatingly. "Uh. Thanks, doc," he muttered, holding it loosely. It was still spattered with blood.

Dr. Cullen nodded. "If there is anything I can do for you…" Dean looked up sharply and the doctor sighed. "Edward wished for me to convey his sincerest apologies," he said carefully. He looked as though he would like to say more, but held back.

Dean just looked at him. "Apologies, huh?"

Dr. Cullen had the grace to look slightly embarrassed. "He would have delivered his apologies in person, but…" he trailed off delicately.

Dean shifted uncomfortably. "Yeah, well, apology accepted," he muttered. He glanced at his brother's still form. "Not his fault he's got skin like rock."

Now it was Dr. Cullen's turn to look uncomfortable. "Yes, well – "

"Hey," Dean cut him off. "Really, it's no problem. My fault, not his."

"Well, in that case…." Dr. Cullen scratched the back of his neck. "I do have one question for you."

Dean shrugged warily. "And that is…?"

"Edward mentioned that Sam managed to sneak up behind him with a gun." Dr. Cullen paused for a moment as if trying to find a good way to say what he wanted. "Has Sam ever mentioned any strange abilities that would allow him to, I don't know, mask his… presence?"

Dean's face closed down. "Sam's just as normal as I am," he growled protectively.

The doctor cocked his head to the side for a moment, then nodded slowly. "Very well," he said quietly. "In that case, I will leave you two alone." He paused for a moment, one hand on the door, and swung back around. "My father was like you," he said. "He considered himself a hunter of evil, like you, but he saw evil in everyone and accused the innocent of being demonic." Dr. Cullen inclined his head slightly in respect. "So perhaps not like you at all." He smiled slightly. "On behalf of my family, I thank you."

He left.

Sam cracked an eye open as soon as the door shut. "I hate to say I told you so, but…" he said weakly.

Dean didn't even flinch. "Dude, seriously. You have _got_ to work on your eavesdropping skills."

Sam rolled his eyes. "Did you even _notice_ that he used my real name?"

Dean's head whipped around. "Oh, crap."

"No, I don't think so," Sam shook his head. "I think….I mean, I can't be sure, but I think that Edward might be what I was sensing before."

"_He_ was the one trying to get inside your head?" Dean groaned. "Now why, exactly, does that not deserve an 'oh, crap'?"

"Bella already knew we weren't using our real names, remember, Dean?" Sam shrugged. "So Edward must have known from the beginning what we were, and he still didn't try to hurt us."

"Yeah, not until I managed to rip your arm to shreds," Dean muttered.

"Dean – "

"Don't even try to tell me it wasn't my fault, Sam," Dean glowered at the wall. "If I hadn't been there, you wouldn't be here. Simple as that."

"Fine," Sam snapped. "It was your fault. Happy now?"

Dean considered for a minute. "Yep, pretty happy."

Sam rolled his eyes, but he was grinning.

"So." Dean perched on the end of Sam's bed. "Now that we have you in one of those lovely backless hospital gowns….how's the staff?"

Sam raised an eyebrow. "Dude, I am not hooking you up with one of my nurses."

"Down, boy," Dean grinned. "Just making sure my little brother has the finest care the local fangs can scare up. Now, is that a crime?" He sobered suddenly. "But seriously – how was Cullen?"

"Fine," Sam replied, shrugging. "Not even a twitch, and I was covered in blood."

Dean nodded slowly, glancing over his shoulder at the door.

"What about you?" Sam asked. "Did you find out what's after the hikers?"

"Yeah," Dean said. "Vampire."

"Wait, what?" Sam struggled into a sitting position. "But if it was Edward…"

"No, it wasn't Edward." Dean grinned. "Turns out you were right all along. The kid's got nothing to do with this. Some vamp's been coming down here and killing all those hikers, and the werewolves are trying to keep him away."

"Her, actually." A new voice spoke up from the door.

Dean whipped around, hand automatically reaching for the gun hidden away in his jacket pocket.

Bella didn't even crack a smile. "So. You finally decided to believe me, huh?" She folded her arms across her chest, leaning against the door frame.

Dean relaxed ever so slightly. "Her?" he asked, ignoring Bella's question.

"Her name's Victoria," she paused for a moment. "Dean."

Dean exchanged a glance with Sam, who shrugged. "If you know who we are, where's Charlie?" Sam asked cautiously.

"I'm willing to give you the benefit of the doubt," Bella replied.

Dean snorted. "You mean you don't want anyone noticing your little vampire funhouse."

"That, too," she said, a hard look in her eyes. "But I want you two out of here. You don't tell any hunters about the Cullens or the Quileute, and I don't call the FBI right now and let them know their murderers are sitting in our hospital."

"And what's to stop us from sending a group of hunters up here once we're gone?" Dean challenged.

"Dean," Sam muttered warningly before turning his attention to Bella. "What about your rogue vampire? Can't we help your friends take her down?"

She raised an eyebrow. "Oh yes, because you two did _so_ well with Edward." She took a step into the room, unfolding her arms. "Look, I'm doing you two a favor. If you stay here, she'll find out what you are and she'll come after you, too." She gave them a half-hearted grin. "You don't stand a chance against her."

"Nice to meet someone who truly appreciates our skills," Dean muttered to Sam. "So, what do you suggest, Bella? We just leave you guys alone up here and forget you exist?"

She moved back toward the door. "Your brother's being discharged this evening. If you know what's good for you, you'll leave right away."

She left.

"If you know what's good for you – " Dean snorted. "Somebody's been watching too much TV."

"I think she's right, Dean," Sam said quietly.

"What? You want us to just let this be the one that got away?"

"We can't _do_ anything, Dean!" Sam threw his good hand into the air. "She's right. We couldn't hurt Edward, and we're not going to be able to hurt this Victoria. We're in over our heads here, Dean, and we're just going to get in the way." He paused for a moment. "Besides, don't we have something _else_ we should be working on?" he said quietly.

Dean sighed. "So you'd rather go after all the demons that were released instead of staying and making sure this gets cleaned up?"

"That's not what I meant, and you know it," Sam replied, voice going hard. "I know what you're trying to do, Dean, and stalling isn't going to make me forget."

"I don't know what you're talking – "

"Dean, _stop it_," Sam exploded. "I'm not going to just sit here in Forks doing nothing when we should be figuring out how to get your soul back!"

"Don't even _think_ about it, Sammy," Dean said, voice low but intense. "I am _not_ watching you drop dead again."

"Wait, what?"

Dean cursed under his breath. "Nothing. Let's just – I'll get you your laptop, and you can start looking for the next job." He turned toward the door.

"Dean."

Dean stopped.

"What aren't you telling me?"

"You are way too suspicious, you know that, Sammy?" Dean grumbled.

"Dean."

Dean spun around to face his brother. "And what makes you think we can beat this, anyway? Do you have _any idea_ where to start looking?"

"Dean, I can't – "

"What if I don't _want _my soul back, huh? The demon's dead, Dad got his Get Out Of Hell Free card, and you're still kicking. Everything I've been working for, I've got, so what if I just want it to end, Sammy? What if I don't _want – _"

"_Dean._"

Dean shoved his hands deep into his pockets, carefully avoiding his brother's eyes.

"Tell me."

There was a brief pause as Dean tried and failed to come up with a plausible lie.

"The demon said – " Dean took a deep breath. "She said if I tried to get out of it, she'd take you back."

"So you –" Sam glared, furious. "What, you were just going to lead me around? Try to distract me with _jobs_ so I wouldn't try to save you?"

"Something like that, yeah," Dean said unapologetically.

"Dean, how stupid do you think I _am_?"

Dean grinned roguishly. "C'mon, Sammy, do you really want me to answer that?"

"Yeah, Dean, actually I do," Sam replied, lips tight with fury. "Did you think I'd just forget about this if you kept me happy with a few werewolves, maybe a possession here or there?"

"Well, I was kind of hoping – "

"No, Dean." Sam lay back in his hospital bed. "As soon as I'm released, we are out of here."

Dean rolled his eyes. "Where, Sammy? Where are we going to go? We have _no leads_ on this case. Nothing. We can't exactly go back to the crossroads and _ask_ the freaking demon how to get out of a deal."

"Then we'll look around. Do research. I don't _care_ where we go, Dean, as long as we're concentrating on what's important." Sam reached over and pressed a button, summoning the nurse. "Leave, Dean. I need my rest."

----------------

They left as quietly as possible. As much as Sam would have liked to say goodbye to Charlie, informing the Chief of Police of their departure didn't exactly seem wise.

Wise. Hah! Sam glared moodily out the rainy window. Wisdom was exactly what they needed right now. They'd need a lot of it if he was going to get Dean's soul back. He wished he could just march down to the crossroads and make his own deal with the demon – hell, just about everyone else in the family had – but he knew there was no way Dean was letting him anywhere near a crossroads right now.

But Dean didn't know. He may have suspected, but he couldn't _know_ what Sam was going through. What he remembered.

He remembered the feel of the gun in his hand. The blood that spattered onto his face. And the rage – the all-consuming fury that blinded him, dredging up the feeling of the knife in his back, the desperate look on Dean's face when he'd woken up afterward, and the gnawing feeling in his gut that told him just what Dean had sacrificed, and channeling it all into the trigger of his gun. God help him, he'd been _happy_ in that moment the first bullet left the chamber.

Sam glanced over at his brother, banging away on the steering wheel as he hummed along with Metallica. He'd get him out of this is. He had to.

It was the only way he'd save himself.

-------------------

_Finis_


End file.
